Is this a Pink Floyd’s finest moment? They sure were on a roll – it started with Meddle, then DSOTM, and then this – you can add Animals to that as well – as these four albums were what Floyd were all about. This album still gives me goosebumps after all these years, and I bought it on its first week of release. Sonically superb, and this 2016 remaster sounds wonderful. Weirdly enough, original Floyd frontman, Syd Barrett, turned up to the sessions for this album and his physical appearance shocked the band.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond is dedicated to Sid and opens up the album – it’s my favourite track. It’s a superb recorded work – from the drawn out opening with Gilmour’s haunting guitar, and the groovy middle section with that epic sax solo – it’s one of the best pieces of music ever recorded. That’s just the first part, as it returns to play out the album on Side 2. Welcome To The Machine is just incredible with (what was at the time) basic synth effects to create that huge mechanical sound of the machine. Have A Cigar is the only somewhat normal tune on the album, as it still has normal strong structure.
It would have been really cool if they got Sid to say a line on the title track – it’s a track that barks back to old Floyd. Band’s just don’t get the time to conjure up something as deep as this today, as we want everything three weeks before it’s created. A genuine masterpiece.
10/10 from The Grooveman.
